


Nothing Rhymes With Orange

by JTHarper



Category: HLVRAI - Fandom, half life but the ai is self aware
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Gordon’s Birthday, He does in fact hate it, Joshie is autistic and uses ASL, Non-Binary Benrey, Orange is not Gordon’s favorite color, They/Themrey, Trans Character, Trans Gordon Freeman, Trans character written by trans author, no beta we die like men, science team - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-16 17:28:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28585767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JTHarper/pseuds/JTHarper
Summary: The Science Team (plus Benrey) helps Gordon celebrate his 30th birthday.Has he mentioned he hates the color orange?
Comments: 13
Kudos: 73





	Nothing Rhymes With Orange

Gordon leaned back in his seat, pressing into the plush couch of his living room. Joshua squirmed next to him, climbing into his fathers lap in excitement. 

It was Gordon’s 30th birthday. 

The Science Team (plus Benrey) had come over to celebrate. There had been pizza, soda, cake, and now it was time for presents. 

Gordon knew, without a doubt, that he would be getting something the color orange. It was a running tradition from the Science Team to always get something the color orange for Gordon for his birthday.

He _hated_ the color orange.

Just because the HEV suit he had had to wear for the _literal trip through hell_ they had taken three years previous was orange, the Science Team had gotten it in their minds that it was his favorite color.

_It was not._

Gordon honesty hated the color, but he loved his family, so he accepted it. It was just a color, right? Even if it did have triggering memories attached to it.

“Yo Feetman, you gonna open presents or nah?” Benrey lounged in one of the living room chairs, plate of cake balanced on their knee as they thumbed away at his PS Vista. (Gordon had gotten it for them the previous Christmas, after having seen how horribly damaged the PSP was that Benrey carried around constantly.)

“Yeah yeah… Joshie do you want to help daddy pick out his first present?” Gordon spoke as he signed ASL to his son. Joshua nodded and squirmed off of his fathers lap. Gordon was happy that even at age six, Joshua liked to cuddle with him.   
  


**Joshie help!** Joshua signed back as he went to the table and grabbed one of the bigger wrapped presents. He carried it over to his dad before putting it on his lap, then climbing back up to cuddled next to him on the couch. 

“Thanks Joshie.” Gordon looked at the package. From Tommy and Darnold. Gordon ripped the package open and nearly grimaced at the bright orange material sitting in a folded lump in his lap. He kept his face calmly neutral as he unfolded the sweater that the couple had gotten for him. The material was soft and plush and looked like it would absolutely swallow Gordon whole. He loved the idea of it… he just knew he wouldn’t wear it because of the _color_.

“W-we know you like y-your baggie hoodies Mr Freeman, so we… we though you m-might like a sweater t-too!” Tommy smiled widely from his spot across the coffee table.

“Thanks you guys, I appreciate it.” He moved it to the side, knowing he end up shoving it into the back of his closet and forgetting about it until the next time he cleaned or dropped off donations. Joshua was quick to get the next present, handing it to his father before resuming his seat. The package was opened, this one from Bubby and Coomer, revealing a variety of different socks, all with some form of orange knit into them, or the one pair that was just plain safety vest orange. It hurt his eyes. Some were better than others and he could provably deal wearing them since he didn’t actually have to look at them much. 

  
“A man can never have too few socks Gordon!” Coomer’s smile pushed his mustache up at the corners of his mouth. Gordon could distinctly hear Bubby mumble something derogatory under his breath but he chose to ignore it.

“You’re sure right Doctor Coomer. Thanks.” Joshua jumped up and grabbed the last present for his father, pushing it into his lap with a big smile on his face. This one was from Benrey. Gordon hesitated before opening the last present. Knowing Benrey, it could honestly be anything and he didn’t know if he wanted to know. Gordon glanced over at the former security guard, wary. But when he saw Benrey had paused his game to actually watch Gordon open the present… ‘ _aww hell…_ ’ he thought before opening the package.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t orange. It was a book, the cover a dark blue, with a picture on the front. The picture contained Gordon, the Science Team, Benrey, and Joshua, the last time they had all gone to the park together. Gordon stared in honest astonishment as he flipped the book open.

The first photo was of Gordon’s college graduation at MIT. Him accepting his diploma for his doctorate. Pictures of when Joshua was born, Gordon laying in a hospital bed looking absolutely exhausted but crying with the small bundle of his son in his arms. Gordon’s first picture post top surgery. Gordon graduating high school. Gordon on his first day at Black Mesa.

The Science Team’s photo in the hall with Gordon doing a silly pose. Pictures during the ResCas.

_After_.

Pictures of Gordon with Joshua. With different members of the Science Team. Even one or two of Gordon and Benrey laughing or paying video games together. 

Gordon flipped through the album silently. The whole room had gone quiet. Everyone watching with bated breath. Finally, when Gordon reached the end of the album, he closed it.

“… thank you Benrey…” Gordon’s voice was quiet as he looked over to the former security guard. There were tears in his eyes as he finally looked up.

“Yo man, I didn’t wanna make you cry…” Benrey sat up more in their seat, moving their cake off to the coffee table and putting their PS Vista down as well to lean forward in concern. Gordon put the album down on the coffee table before standing. In surprise, Benrey stood as well. It only took two steps before Gordon was in Benrey’s personal space and wrapping his arms around them in a big hug. Benrey stood shocked, having not expected that kind of reaction. It only took a moment before they hugged back.

Gordon pulled back after a moment, tears still slipping down his cheeks; but his smile was the widest Benrey had ever seen.

“I love it, so much. Thank you… finally someone got me something that wasn’t orange!” Benrey blinked in surprise before laughing out loud and hugging Gordon again.

The others gave shouts of complaints, all in good nature, about their own presents being perfectly acceptable and that orange was Gordon’s favorite color so they should be perfectly fine. Gordon laughed as well, enjoying the hug before having to explain to the Science Team that _no orange is not his favorite color and you’ve been getting orange presents for no reason._

Things obviously dissolved into chaos shortly after. 

Gordon had never expected his 30th birthday to quite turn out like this…

He wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first addition to the HLVRAI fandom!!! I hope to write more! If I do they’ll all be considered one shot stand alone’s unless otherwise stated. 
> 
> Feel free to comment and kudo this!


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